Radio Shack ET-537 User manual

Cat. No. 43-1037
OWNER’S MANUAL
Please read before using this equipment.
ET-537
25-Channel Cordless Telephone
with 9-Number Memory
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2
FEATURES
© 1996 Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
COM-LOK is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.
RadioShack is a trademark used by Tandy Corporation.
Your RadioShack ET-537 25-Channel
Cordless Telephone with 9-Number
Memory includes the latest advances
in cordless phone technology. It has
these features:
Auto Scan — automatically selects a
clear channel when you make or an-
swer a call.
25-Channel Selector — during a call,
lets you easily select the channel with
the best performance.
Advanced Super CCT Circuitr
y
—
provides clarity comparable to a cord-
ed phone, reduces background noise,
and increases effective operating dis-
tance.
9-Number Memor
y
— lets you store
nine phone numbers in memory for
easy dialing.
COM-LOK®— ensures that other
cordless phone users cannot use your
phone line while the handset is on the
base.
Automatic Securit
y
Access Protec-
tion Code — changes each time you
return the handset to the base to help
prevent other cordless phone users
from using your phone line while the
handset is off the base.
Flash — sends an electronic switch-
hook signal for use with special phone
services such as call waiting.
Redial — quickly redials the last num-
ber dialed, with the touch of a button.
Touch Tone or Pulse (Rotar
y
) Dial-
in
g
— lets you connect your phone to
either type of service.
Pa
g
e — lets you send a page from the
base to the handset so you can find it
if you misplace it or soyou can alert the
person using the handset.
Rin
g
er On/Off Switch — saves hand-
set battery power.
Hearin
g
-Aid Compatibilit
y
— lets
you use your phone with hearing aids
that have a T (telephone) switch.
For your records, we urge you to
record the serial number of your phone
in the space below. The serial number
is located on the bottom panel of the
base.
Serial Number:__________________
Please read this owner’s manual care-
fully so you can enjoy all of your tele-
phone’s features.
This telephone has been tested and
found to comply with all applicable
FCC and UL standards.
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Important: Cordless phones such as
this one require AC power to operate.
When AC power is off, you cannot dial
out or receive incoming calls using
your ET-537. For this reason, the ET-
537 should not be your only telephone.
To be safe, you should also have a
phone that does not need AC power to
operate (not a cordless phone) so you
can still make and receive calls if there
is an AC power failure.
Warning: To prevent fire or shock haz-
ard, do not expose this product to rain
or moisture.
This symbol is intended to alert you
to the presence of uninsulated dan-
gerous voltage within the product’s
enclosure that might be of sufficient
magnitude to constitute a risk of
electric shock. Do not open the
product’s case.
This symbol is intended to inform
you that important operating and
maintenance instructions are in-
cluded in the literature accompany-
ing this product.
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK.
DO NOT OPEN.
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF
ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE
COVER OR BACK. NO USER-SERVICE-
ABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVIC-
ING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
CAUTION
!
!
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READ THIS BEFORE
INSTALLATION
We have designed your telephone to
conform to federal regulations, and
you can connect it to most telephone
lines. However, each device that you
connect to the phone line draws power
from the phone line. We refer to this
power draw as the device’s ringer
equivalence number, or REN. The
REN is on the bottom of the base.
If you are using more than one phone
or other device on the line, add up all
the RENs. If the total is more than five,
your phone might not ring. In rural ar-
eas, a total REN of three might impair
ringer operation. If ringer operation is
impaired, disconnect one of the devic-
es from the line.
Note: Some cordless phones operate
at frequencies that might cause inter-
ference to nearby TVs and VCRs. To
minimize or prevent such interference,
the base of the cordless phone should
not be placed near or on top of a TV or
VCR.
FCC STATEMENT
This telephone complies with Part 68
of
FCC Rules
. You must, upon re-
quest, provide the FCC Registration
Number and the REN to your phone
company. These numbers are on the
bottom of the phone’s base.
You must not connect your phone to
any of the following:
• Coin-operated systems
• Party-line systems
• Most electronic key phone sys-
tems
Note: Your telephone operates on
standard radio frequencies, as allocat-
ed by the FCC. Even though the ac-
cess-protection code prevents un-
authorized use of your phone line, it is
possible for other radio units operating
on similar frequencies within a certain
area to unintentionally intercept your
conversations and/or cause interfer-
ence. This lack of privacy can occur
with any cordless phone.
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CONTENTS
Installation..............................................................................................................6
Selecting a Location..........................................................................................6
Installing the Handset’s Antenna.......................................................................7
Connecting the Battery .....................................................................................7
Connecting Power.............................................................................................7
Charging the Battery.........................................................................................8
Installing the Base.............................................................................................9
Placing the Base on a Desk Top.................................................................9
Mounting the Base on a Wall Plate.............................................................9
Mounting the Base Directly on the Wall....................................................10
Preparation...........................................................................................................12
Setting the Dialing Mode.................................................................................12
Turning the Ringer On or Off...........................................................................12
Operation .............................................................................................................13
Confirmation Tones.........................................................................................13
Making/Receiving a Call ................................................................................13
Changing Channels ........................................................................................13
Using Redial ...................................................................................................13
Using Flash ....................................................................................................14
Using Tone Services on a Pulse Line .............................................................14
Using Privacy .................................................................................................14
Using Page ....................................................................................................15
Memor
y
Dialin
g
...................................................................................................16
Storing Phone Numbers in Memory ...............................................................16
Storing a Pause .......................................................................................16
Dialing a Stored Number ................................................................................17
Clearing a Memory Location...........................................................................17
Chain Dialing Numbers ..................................................................................17
Troubleshootin
g
.................................................................................................18
Care and Maintenance .......................................................................................20
Replacing the Battery .....................................................................................21
The FCC Wants You to Know ........................................................................21
Lightning .........................................................................................................22
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INSTALLATION
Important: After you select a location
for the phone (see “Selecting a Loca-
tion”), you must install the phone in the
following order before you use it for the
first time.
1. Install the handset’s antenna (see
“Installing the Handset’s An-
tenna” on Page 7).
2. Connect the battery to the hand-
set (see “Connecting the Battery”
on Page 7).
3. Connect the base to power (see
“Connecting Power” on Page 7).
4. Charge the phone’s battery for
about 24 hours (see “Charging
the Battery” on Page 8).
5. Install the base and connect it to
your phone line (see “Installing the
Base” on Page 9).
SELECTING A LOCATION
You can place your phone on a desk,
shelf, or table, or mount it on a wall.
Select a location that is:
• Near an AC outlet
• Near a telephone line jack
• Out of the way of normal activities
• Away from fluorescent lights, elec-
trical machinery, electrical appli-
ances, and metal walls or filing
cabinets
• Away from computers, remote
control toys, wireless intercoms,
alarms, and room monitors
The base’s location affects the phone’s
range. If you have a choice of several
locations, try each to see which pro-
vides the best performance.
Notes:
• If the phone line jack is not a mod-
ular jack, you must update the wir-
ing. You can do this yourself,
using jacks and adapters avail-
able at your local RadioShack
store, or you can let the phone
company update the wiring for
you.
• The phone company will charge
you for the installation of the nec-
essary jacks.
• The USOC number of the jack to
be installed is RJ11W for a wall
jack or RJ11C for a wall plate.
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INSTALLING THE
HANDSET’S ANTENNA
Insert the antenna into the hole at the
top of the handset, then rotate the an-
tenna clockwise until it is secure.
CONNECTING THE
BATTERY
Your phone comes with a recharge-
able nickel-cadmium battery installed.
However, before you use the phone for
the first time, you must connect the
battery and charge it for about 24
hours.
Follow these steps to connect the bat-
tery.
1. While lifting up on the battery
compartment cover’s latch on the
back of the handset, pull the cover
up to remove it.
2. Pull and lift the front tab on the
battery restraining strap to remove
it.
3. Connect the battery’s wires to the
battery connector inside the com-
partment, then insert the battery.
Note: The battery’s connector fits
into the connector inside the com-
partment only one way. Do not
force it.
4. Replace the battery restraining
strap and the cover.
After you connect the battery, you
must connect power, then charge the
battery.
CONNECTING POWER
Caution: You must use a 120V AC/9V
DC adapter that delivers at least 150
milliamps. Its plug must correctly fit the
phone’s POWER 9V DC jack. The sup-
plied adapter meets these require-
ments. Using an adapter that does not
meet these requirements could dam-
age the phone or the adapter.
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1. Insert the supplied AC adapter’s
barrel plug into the POWER 9V DC
jack on the back of the base.
2. Plug the adapter into a standard
AC outlet.
CHARGING THE
BATTERY
Before you connect the phone to the
phone line and use the phone for the
first time, or whenever you install a
new battery, make sure RINGER OFF/
ON on the handset is set to OFF, then
charge the battery for about 24 hours
by placing the handset on the cradle so
the CHARGE indicator on the base
lights.
The phone charges whenever the
handset is on the base. You can re-
charge the battery at any time, but you
must be sure to recharge it when the
handset sounds a beep every 7 sec-
onds.
Notes:
• If the CHARGE indicator on the
base does not light when you
place the handset on the cradle,
be sure the AC adapter is
securely connected to the base.
Also, check the charging contacts
on the handset and base. If the
contacts are dirty or tarnished,
gently clean them with a pencil
eraser.
• A full charge lasts about 168
hours if you leave the handset off
the base and do not make any
calls.
• About once a month, fully dis-
charge the battery. Otherwise, the
battery loses its ability to fully
recharge. To fully discharge the
battery, set RINGER OFF/ON on
the handset to ON and keep the
handset off the cradle until the
handset beeps every 7 seconds.
Then return the handset to the
cradle, set RINGER OFF/ON to
OFF, and recharge the battery for
about 10 hours.
• When the battery cannot fully
recharge, replace it with a new
one. For the best performance,
you should replace the supplied
battery about once a year — more
often if it is used heavily. See
“Replacing the Battery’’ on
Page 21.
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9
• The first time you use your phone
after installing a new battery, the
handset might not work or might
sound an error tone when you
press
TALK. This might also occur
when you recharge a battery that
has been completely discharged.
If this happens, be sure RINGER
OFF/ON is set to ON. Then return
the handset to the cradle for 5
seconds. This resets the security
access protection code.
INSTALLING THE BASE
Placing the Base on
a Desk Top
Follow these steps if you are placing
the base on a desk, shelf, or table.
1. Place the handset on the base.
2. Place the base’s antenna in a ver-
tical position.
3. Plug the attached modular cord
on the back of the base into a
modular phone line jack.
Mounting the Base on
a Wall Plate
Follow these steps to mount the phone
on a standard wall plate.
1. Thread the attached modular cord
through the thick strain relief slot
under the base.
2. Thread the supplied AC adapter’s
cord through the thin strain relief
slot under the base.
3. Plug the attached modular cord
on the back of the base into the
wall plate’s modular phone line
jack.
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10
4. Align the keyhole slots on the
back of the base with the mount-
ing studs on the wall plate, then
carefully push the base onto the
studs and slide it down.
5. Place the handset on the base.
6. Place the base’s antenna in a ver-
tical position.
Mounting the Base
Directly on the Wall
You need two wood screws (not sup-
plied) for this mounting method. Make
sure the heads of the screws fit into the
keyhole slots on the back of the base.
Follow these steps to mount the phone
directly on the wall.
1. Drill two holes 31/4inches apart.
Then thread a screw into each
hole, letting the head extend 1/8
inch from the wall.
2. Thread the attached modular cord
through the thick strain relief slot
under the base.
3. Thread the supplied AC adapter’s
cord through the thin strain relief
slot under the base.
4. Align the keyhole slots on the
back of the base with the mount-
ing screws and slide the base
downward to secure it.
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11
5. Plug the attached modular cord
on the back of the base into a
modular phone line jack.
6. Place the handset on the base.
7. Place the base’s antenna in a ver-
tical position.
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PREPARATION
SETTING THE DIALING
MODE
Set TONE/PULSE on the back of the
base for the type of service you have
—tone or pulse (rotary). If you are not
sure which type you have, do this test.
1. Set TONE/PULSE to TONE.
2. Lift the handset, press TALK, and
listen for a dial tone.
3. Press any number other than 0.
Note: If your phone system
requires that you dial an access
code (9, for example) before you
dial an outside number, do not
enter the access code.
If the dial tone stops, you have
touch tone service. Leave TONE/
PULSE set to TONE.
If the dial tone continues, you
have pulse (rotary) service. Set
TONE/PULSE to PULSE.
TURNING THE RINGER
ON OR OFF
To turn off the handset’s ringer, set
RINGER OFF/ON on the handset to
OFF. To turn on the ringer, set it to ON.
Note: With the handset’s ringer off,
you can still make calls using the
phone. And you can receive calls if you
have another telephone on the same
line which rings when there is an in-
coming call.
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13
OPERATION
CONFIRMATION TONES
When you press a button, the phone
sounds a confirmation tone to indicate
that it accepted the command. If you
are out of range or there is too much in-
terference, the phone sounds an error
tone. Move the handset closer to the
base and try again.
MAKING/RECEIVING A
CALL
To make a call, lift the handset from
the base. If you do not hear a dial tone,
press TALK. When you hear a dial
tone, dial the phone number.
To answer a call, lift the handset from
the base. If you do not hear the caller,
press TALK.
Note: If you accidentally press TALK
within 2-3 seconds after answering a
call, the phone ignores your command.
After 2-3 seconds, pressing TALK dis-
connects the call.
When you are finished with the call, ei-
ther press TALK or return the handset
to the base to hang up.
CHANGING CHANNELS
To reduce interference and get the
clearest communications between the
base and handset, the phone automati-
cally selects a clear channel for a call at
the beginning of the call. The phone
usesone of 25 channelswhen you hear
a dial tone or during a call.
However, you can manually change
the channel the phone is using during
a call. When you press CHAN, the
phone changes to another channel
and uses that one.
Note: If the handset is too far from the
base, the phone might not change
channels. Move closer to the base and
try again.
USING REDIAL
To redial the last number dialed, press
REDIAL on the handset when you hear
a dial tone. The phone automatically
dials the last number dialed.
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14
Note: The redial memory holds up to
63 digits, so you can redial long-
distance as well as local phone num-
bers.
USING FLASH
Pressing FLASH sends the electronic
equivalent of a switchhook signal. Use
FLASH with special phone company
services such as call waiting.
If you have call waiting, quickly press
and release FLASH to take an incom-
ing call without disconnecting the cur-
rent call. Quickly press and release
FLASH
again to return to the first call.
Notes:
• Pressing and holding down
FLASH for at least 1 second dis-
connects the current call.
• Do not press FLASH to hang up
the phone.
• When you redial a phone number
that includes a flash entry, the
phone only redials the numbers
after FLASH. For example, if you
dial 1 2 3 4 FLASH 5 6 7, pressing
REDIAL only redials 5 6 7.
• If you do not have any special
phone services, pressing FLASH
might disconnect the current call.
USING TONE SERVICES
ON A PULSE LINE
If you have pulse service, you can tem-
porarily switch to tone dialing during a
call for banking services or computer
transactions.
Be sure TONE/PULSE on the back of
the base is set to PULSE. Dial the num-
ber as usual, then simply press on
the handset at the appropriate place in
the call to change to tone dialing. The
phone automatically returns to pulse
dialing when you hang up the call.
USING PRIVACY
If you do not want a person on the other
end of the line to hear you, press and
hold down PRIVACY on the handset.
The handset’s microphone is turned off
without ending the call. Release PRIVA-
CY to resume your conversation.
Note: You can still hear the person on
the other end of the line when you
press and hold down PRIVACY.
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15
USING PAGE
PAGE on the base lets you locate the
handset if you misplaced it, or alert the
person holding the handset. The hand-
set beeps three times when someone
presses and releases PAGE on the
base. If you press and hold down
PAGE for about 2 seconds, the handset
beeps three times for about 20 sec-
onds. This gives you time to locate the
handset.
Note: Pressing PAGE does not discon-
nect a call in progress.
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16
MEMORY DIALING
STORING PHONE
NUMBERS IN MEMORY
You can store up to 9 phone numbers
of up to 16 digits each.
Notes:
•If
TONE/PULSE is set to PULSE
and you want to use tone dialing
for a memory number, you must
store the tone entry ( ) along
with the number.
• To keep your accounts secure, we
recommend you
not
store your
personal access code for services
such as bank-by-phone.
1. If you hear a dial tone, press
TALK.
2. Press MEMORY.
3. Dial the number you want to store,
then press MEMORY again.
4. Press the memory location num-
ber (1-9) where you want to store
the number. The phone beeps
rapidly. The phone number is now
stored in memory.
5. Remove the plastic covering from
the handset’s index card with a
small pointed object, such as the
end of a straightened paper clip.
Write the person’s or company’s
name and memory location num-
ber on the card in pencil (in case
you want to change it later).
6. Repeat Steps 1-4 to store and
record other telephone numbers.
Notes:
• If you receive a call while you
store a number in memory, press
TALK to answer the call. After the
call, begin again at Step 1 to store
the number.
• To change a stored number, store
a new one in its place.
Storing a Pause
In some telephone systems, you must
dial an access code (9, for example)
and wait for a second dial tone before
you can dial an outside number.
You can store the access code with the
phone number. However, you must
also store a pause after the access
code to allow the outside line time to
connect. To do so, press # at the ap-
propriate place to enter a 3-4 second
pause. For a longer pause, press # ad-
ditional times.
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17
DIALING A STORED
NUMBER
1. Lift the handset from the cradle.
(Press TALK if you do not hear a
dial tone).
2. When you hear a dial tone, press
MEMORY and then press the
memory location number where
the phone number is stored. The
phone dials the stored number.
Important: If you want to test a stored
number of an emergency service,
make the test call in the off-peak
hours, such as late evening or early
morning, and remain on the line to ex-
plain the reason for your call.
CLEARING A MEMORY
LOCATION
To clear a stored phone number from a
memory location, press MEMORY
twice, then press the memory location
number. A long beep sounds. The
phone number is now cleared from
memory.
Note: If the phone does not sound a
long beep, it did not clear the number.
Try again.
CHAIN DIALING
NUMBERS
When calling special services (such as
alternate long distance or bank by
phone), dialthe service’s main number
first. Then, at the appropriate place in
the call, press MEMORY and the mem-
ory location number where the addi-
tional information is stored.
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18
TROUBLESHOOTING
If your phone is not working as it should, these suggestions might help you elimi-
nate the problem. If the phone still does not operate normally, take it to your local
RadioShack store for assistance.
S
y
mptom Cause Su
gg
estion
The call is too
noisy. Interference on the line. • Change channels and try again (see “Chang-
ing Channels” on
Page 13).
• Hang up the phone.
Then pick up the phone
and redial the number.
The phone connection is
loose. Check the phone’s connec- tion.
A device such as a remote
control, fluorescent light, per-
sonal computer, or appliance
is too close to the handset.
• Change channels and
try again (see “Chang-
ing Channels” on
Page 13).
• Move the handset away
from the device. If the
noise continues, turn off
the device.
The channel frequency for
your phone is the same as
another cordless phone in
your area.
Change channels and try
again (see “Changing Chan-
nels” on Page 13).
The antenna on the base or
the handset might be touch-
ing a metal surface.
Adjust the antenna on the
base, check the antenna on
the handset, and try again.
The handset’s battery might
need recharging. Place the handset in the base to recharge it.
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19
Symptom Cause Suggestion
The volume sud-
denly drops and un-
usual sounds occur.
Someone has picked up a
phone on the same line. Have the other person hang up the phone.
The handset’s battery might
need recharging (the handset
sounds a beep every 7 sec-
onds).
Note: If the battery is too low,
the handset mightnot beep.
Place the handsetinthebase
to recharge it (see “Charging
the Battery” on Page 8).
The phone’s range
decreases. Theantennaonthebaseisnot adjusted properly. Position the antenna on the base vertically.
The handset’s battery might
need recharging. Place the handsetinthebase to recharge it.
The phonedoes not
work, or works poor-
ly.
The handset is too far away
from the base. Move the handset closer to the base.
The phone’s cord and the AC
adapter are not connected
properly.
Properly connect the phone’s
cord and AC adapter.
The handset’s battery might
need recharging. Place the handsetinthebase to recharge it.
Theantennaonthebaseisnot
adjusted properly. Position the base’s antenna vertically.
The phone does
not work after the
TALK indicator
flashes several
times and the
phone beeps when
you press TALK to
make or receive a
call.
The phone must be reset. Place the handset in the
base for at least 10 seconds
to reset it.
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20
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Your RadioShack ET-537 25-Channel Cordless Telephone with 9-Number Memory
is an example of superior design and craftsmanship. The following suggestions will
help you care for your phone so you can enjoy it for years.
Keep the phone dry. If it gets wet, wipe it dry immediately. Liquids can
contain minerals that corrode the electronic circuits.
Handle the phone gently and carefully. Dropping it can damage cir-
cuit boards and cases and cause the phone to work improperly.
Use and store the phone only in normal temperature environments.
Temperature extremes can shorten the life of electronic devices and
distort or melt plastic parts.
Keep the phone away from dust and dirt which can cause premature
wear of parts.
Wipe the phone with a damp cloth occasionally to keep it looking
new. Do not use harsh chemicals, cleaning solvents, or strong deter-
gents to clean your phone.
Modifying or tampering with the phone’s internal components can cause a malfunc-
tion and might invalidate its warranty and void your FCC authorization to operate it.
If your phone is not performing as it should, take it to your local RadioShack store
for assistance. If the trouble is affecting the phone lines, the phone company might
ask you to disconnect your phone until you have resolved the problem.
CLEANER
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